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The All-New 2009 Volkswagen Tiguan - The GTI of small SUVs

AJAX, ON, June 2 /CNW/ - Volkswagen announced today that its all-new
compact sport-utility vehicle, the 2009 Tiguan, has arrived at dealerships,
with a base price of $27,575. The new Tiguan represents the first foray for
Volkswagen in the compact SUV segment.
The 2009 Tiguan features Volkswagen's award winning, powerful and
fuel-efficient turbocharged 2-litre inline four cylinder 200 HP engine. It
produces 207 lb-ft of torque, which is available from 1,700 rpm and remains
constant all the way up to 5,000 rpm, and contributes to a zero to 100 km/h
acceleration in just 7.6 seconds. In addition to its swiftness, the engine
returns highway fuel economy of only 7.6 L/100 km. The Tiguan can be equipped
with either a standard six-speed manual transmission or an optional six-speed
automatic transmission with Tiptronic(TM).
Tiguan is also available in either front-wheel drive or with an optional
4MOTION all-wheel drive system. The Haldex-equipped 4MOTION system is similar
to the one used in the latest Passat 3.6 4MOTION. Now in its fourth
generation, this advanced all-wheel drive system has logic to pro-actively
lock the differential in certain situations thereby distributing power to all
four corners before the front wheels lose traction. Exclusively mated to the
six-speed automatic, the Tiguan 4MOTION is available at a starting price of
$30,975. With its low entry level price point, the Tiguan still offers a
high-level of standard features, such as 16 inch alloy wheels, front fog
lights, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, heated power exterior
mirrors, remote-locking with anti-theft alarm, 8-speaker MP3-readable CD
player with auxiliary input jack, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, 8-way
adjustable front seats with safety optimized headrests, front, front side, and
side curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control,
electronic stability programme and a tire pressure monitoring system. In
addition to the vast list of safety features, rear side airbags and a towing
hitch are available as options.
The 2009 Tiguan benefits from extensive use of high-strength steel in a
laser-welding production process, class-leading fit-and-finish, tremendous
body strength, crash protection, driving dynamics, and exceptionally low
interior noise levels. A fully independent suspension system, that uses a
multi-link rear and optimized front strut setup, as well as an electro-
mechanical steering system are found in this new vehicle. The braking system
also adds an electrically-operated handbrake that liberates the centre console
from clutter and provides for increased cabin and storage space. In addition,
all Tiguans offer a "hill start assist" function that uses the rear brakes to
prevent vehicle "roll-back" when activated.
The vehicle's roofline can also be enhanced with available roof rails and
a panoramic sunroof. With this large sunroof, occupants of both the front and
rear seating areas will benefit from a light-filled ambiance. The roof
consists of two halves, the front section of which can be raised as well as
completely opened. To preserve full interior height, the opening segment is
driven out and above the closed section of roof. An electrically-powered
sunshade can be used when less sunlight is desired. Also available as an
option is a new-generation navigation system with touch-screen functionality,
on a 6.5 inch high resolution screen, and 30-Gigabyte hard disk memory. Models
equipped with this option will also include a rearview camera to assist in
reverse parking maneuvers as well as an upgraded 300 watt Dynaudio sound
system and Media Device Interface (MDI) located in the center console to
connect to an iPod or other MP3 device.
Its spacious trunk area is accommodating and flexible as the 60/40 split
rear seats can be folded independently and adjusted for a perfect blend of
rear seat occupant legroom and trunk capacity. In addition, the centre section
of the seatback can be folded down to be used as a centre armrest, drink
holder or cargo pass-through. The individual seat elements can also moved up
to 16 cm longitudinally, for an even better balance between passengers and
cargo. To build further on the Tiguan's versatility, the front passenger seat
can also be folded flat to provide transport of items up to 2,580mm in length.
For added assurance, the 2009 Tiguan comes with 24-hour Roadside
Assistance for four (4) years, plus a five (5) year/100,000 kilometre
(whichever occurs first) Powertrain Limited Warranty, a four (4) year/80,000
kilometre (whichever occurs first) New Vehicle Limited Warranty with wear and
tear items and adjustments excluded after the initial 12 months/20,000
kilometres and a twelve (12) year unlimited distance Limited Warranty against
corrosion perforation.
The all-new 2009 Tiguan is manufactured exclusively at our production
facility in Wolfsburg, Germany. Founded in 1952, Volkswagen Canada is
headquartered in Ajax, Ontario. It is part of Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. and
is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and
Europe's largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the City Golf, City Jetta,
Rabbit, GTI, New Beetle, Jetta, Eos, Passat, Touareg 2, and now Tiguan,
through 131 independent Canadian dealers.
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on
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